UE Locals 222 and 243 sent members to Hartford on April 18 for UE’s third Connecticut Political Action Conference in that state. This year the UE event was coordinated with Labor United for Healthcare as a multi-union lobby day to push for the Connecticut Saves Health Care Program (SB 1371), a bill that would establish a state single-payer plan.

Rep. Chris Donovan (D-Meriden), House Majority Leader, spoke to UE members and answer their questions. “We are spending $22 billion for health care (in Connecticut) and we are not getting our money’s worth.” Donavan argues that, with a single-payer system, $22 billion would be more than enough to cover everyone. “Let’s do it. We need to fix this crisis now.” He urged union members to “get your employers to speak in favor of this,” emphasizing how much a state universal health care plan would save employers.

Rep. Tim O’Brien (D-New Britain) echoed these sentiments: “We have a real shot at getting single payer passed in Connecticut, but we have work to do,” adding that labor’s role is critical in convincing legislators to support the bill.

Thanks to the help of Rep. John Geragosian (D-New Britain), Democratic caucus chair, the UE delegation had the use of a meeting room in the legislative office building, which served as UE’s lobby day headquarters.

Local 222 President Peter Pekrel, who works at the Town of Berlin’s recycling center, said, “I liked to see all the unions working together for the same thing – single-payer.” Peter’s co-worker Paul Kay added, “It was a great day. I got to meet my state senator (Tom Colapietro.) He was a union guy, and he seems to be on board with single-payer.”

“UE has been for single-payer for a long time,” noted Local 243 President Ray Pompano. “It’s good to have broad support in the labor movement for the real solution to the healthcare problem.”

“Since this event we’ve gotten reports back from several members of successful contact with legislators since the lobby day,” says Local 222 Vice President Marie Lausch, a New Britain 911 dispatcher. “UE members in Connecticut are not content to drift along with the political tides. We are rolling up our sleeves and rowing toward success.”

UP AGAINST THE INSURANCE LOBBY

“The opponents of single-payer in Connecticut sound the right-wing’s familiar alarm against ‘Big Government,’” said Chris Townsend, UE’s political action director who was active in the Hartford event. “But they’re not fooling anyone. It’s protecting the profits of ‘Big Insurance’ that really concerns them, and the insurance industry has tremendous political influence in Connecticut.”

UE members met with some 15 members of the legislature, talking about not only SB 1371 but other important worker issues as well. Among the other items on the Connecticut UE agenda:

• Improved pay and recognition for school paraprofessionals.

• Reform of the Workers’ Comp system so that an injured worker’s benefits can no longer be cut off just because the employer failed to provide light duty work.

• Action to protect retirement, starting with HB 5707, a bill to protect municipal workers’ pension.

• Two state bills to improve workers’ rights to organize by allowing card check union recognition (HB 5701) and banning bosses’ captive audience meetings (HB 7326.)